THE CONSTRUCTOR 



In the prologue to his Controversial Essays Huxley 

 says, " I have hitherto dwelt upon scientific Natural- 

 ism chiefly in its critical and destructive aspect. But 

 the present incarnation of the spirit of the Renascence 

 differs from its predecessor in the eighteenth century 

 in that it builds up as well as pulls down." 1 What 

 the structure should be is indicated in his controversy 

 with Mr. Gladstone, and to this may be added a pas- 

 sage from a letter to Mr. Romanes : — 



I have a great respect for the Nazarenism of Jesus 

 — very little for later " Christianity." But the only 

 religion that makes appeal to me is prophetic Judaism. 

 Add to it something from the best Stoics, and some- 

 thing from Spinoza, and something from Goethe, and 

 there is a religion for men. Some of these days I 

 think I will make a cento out of the works of these 

 people. 2 



The Hebrew prophets made special appeal to Him, 

 since, " to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk 

 humbly before thy God " was to base religion on the 

 stable foundation of human relations. There would 



1 Coll. Essays, v. p. 41. 2 II. 339. 



224 



